Dead Man's Chest and At World's End Rewritten
by spooky-fbi
Summary: Liz sent to the Locker instead of Jack. Will makes a [painfully slow] discovery about himself. Norrie and Beckett have the heart of DJ and some spiteful plans. [slash: WN, JackBeckett. het: Noncon LizPintRag... kinda, JackTia Dalma implied] Abandoned.
1. Chapter 1: Abandon Ship

Author's Notes:

The following is a slash fic. Slash means male/male pairings. If this bothers you, then you probably won't enjoy said fic. Just giving you fair warning. This fic deals with the following pairings:

Willington: Will/Norrington. This fic is primarily about these two characters coming to terms with their feelings for each other. At least it was supposed to be. It's proving a lot more difficult to write than I'd thought. I've tried to do the transition as believably as possible, but being a straight female myself, I have very limited experience on the subject. But basically, as long as it's at least as believable as Elizabeth and Jack's sudden unexplained attraction to each other in Dead Man's Chest, I'll settle for that. Let me know what you think.

Jackett: Jack/Beckett. In my mind, the relationship between these two took place many years ago, and ended on very bad terms. They've both pretty much already squared with this aspect of themselves, so I won't be covering that. I'll be exploring my take on what happened between them, and the effect their falling out had on each of them, through conversations, brief flashbacks and perhaps an extended flashback if I can find a way to make it work.

Elizabeth is in this fic, but I feel obliged to tell you that I don't like her. So be forewarned, her appearance in this fic will be brief and unpleasant. She'll have a total of about six scenes in all, I believe. And she will die as soon as her usefulness has run it's course.

This fic does contain some major spoilers from Dead Man's Chest and At World's end, and if you haven't seen Dead Man's Chest, it won't make any sense. If you haven't seen DMC, and you don't want any spoilers, don't read any further because I'm about to reveal one. This fic begins just before Elizabeth kisses Jack. You can sort of tell that from the way it begins, but in case you couldn't, I'm telling you now. Assume that all the events from Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest up to that point occurred as they did in the movies.

A lot of the events of this fic parallel events of DMC and AWE, and I'm not sure of the legal ramifications of this, but these scenes are the property of Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Jerry Bruckheimer or Disney, they're not mine, I'm not making any profit so there's no need to sue etc…

One more thing before I let you get to reading, I'm writing this fic as I go. It seems to be working so far, but I have had some bad experiences with this method of writing in the past, so just keep this in mind.

'-' Enjoy!

- - - - -

**Chapter 1: Abandon Ship (AKA Extricating the Distressing Damsel)**

Elizabeth kissed Jack, moving him towards the mast. Jack let her. Jack suddenly felt Elizabeth's hand on his wrist, guiding it towards the mast. He felt something metallic against his wrist. He snapped it away, seeing that it was a pair of handcuffs that he had felt. He immediately grabbed Elizabeth's arm, moving his face close to hers.

"Just what were you doing, Luv?" he asked with venom.

"It's after you, not the ship." she explained, desperately. "Don't you see it was the only way."

"Really?" Jack retorted. "Well, seeing as the beastie was still attacking The Pearl when _I_ was in that rowboat and _you_ were here, I'm thinking that by the same reasoning it's after _you_, not _me_, and the only way is to cuff _you_ to the ship!"

Elizabeth tried to free herself from Jack's grasp, and a wave of terror came over her when she realized that he was intentionally holding her tightly, and that for once he was not joking.

"Jack, let go of my wrist, you're hurting me!" Elizabeth cried.

She struggled as Jack forced her wrist into the cuffs and snapped them shut. He then staggered towards the rowboat, as Elizabeth frantically tried to free herself, to no avail.

- - - - -

Will watched Jack climb down from The Pearl and into the rowboat, still trying to process what he had just seen this man doing with his fiancé. His confusion was compounded when he saw no Elizabeth climbing into the rowboat after Jack.

"Where's Elizabeth?"

"I cuffed her to the mast" Jack replied coolly

Will's confusion skyrocketed, the lovable clueless whelp! "Why?"

Jack merely shrugged "Why not?"

Will was in too confused a state to argue with such relentless logic. Pintel and Ragetti began rowing towards the nearest island. Will and Jack looked on as the Kraken took down Jack's beloved ship, and Will's beloved fiancé. Neither shed a single tear, nor felt nearly as upset as they imagined they would in such a situation.


	2. Chapter 2: Something to Trade

**Chapter 2: Something to Trade (AKA Giving Norrie a bigger part)**

Davey Jones watched through his telescope as his pet took down the Black Pearl, unaware that Jack was actually several dozen feet away in a little rowboat.

"Jack Sparrow, our debt is settled." Jones said to himself as he closed the telescope with a self-satisfied grin.

"The Captain goes down with his ship" one of the crewmembers added, making the same assumption that Davey Jones had made.

"Turns out not even Jack Sparrow can best the devil." another crew member said smugly. Davey Jones was suddenly unsure about this. He knew Jack, and he knew that if anyone _could_ best the devil, it would be him.

He turned to the crewmembers. "Open the chest." he siad with a hint of worry. The crewmembers looked at each other, confused. "Open the chest!" He repeated. "I need to see it!"

The crewmembers scurried towards the chest, and one of them turned the key. It unlocked ominously and Davey Jones pushed the crowd aside and stood before it. He lifted the lid quickly, and shook with rage at what he saw. The chest was empty!

"Damn you Jack SPARROW!!!!!"

- - - - -

"The last of our ships has returned" Mr Mercer told Beckett, who sat daintily at his desk  
"Is there any news on the chest?"

"None. But one of the ships did pick up a man adrift at sea"

'Jack?' Beckett thought hopefully.

Mercer produced the letters of marque that Beckett had given Miss Swann "He had these"  
Beckett picked up the letters and opened them, hoping to see Jack Sparrow's name. His heart sank when he saw 'James Norrington' printed on them.

"I took the liberty of filling in my name" A voice gloated.

Beckett looked up to see a very scruffy Norrington, covered in mud and smelling faintly of BO and rum. The scent reminded Beckett of Jack, and he tried to hide his smile. He replaced the letters on the table and beckoned James, who snatched his arm away from the guard and waltzed towards Beckett's desk.

"If you intend to claim these, then you must have something to trade" Beckett countered, regarding this filthy looking man and pondering the likelihood that he had come into contact with his own filthy pirate, and acquired the item that he had sent Miss Swann and Mr Turner to obtain. "Do you have the compass?"

James shook his head "Better."

'Jack?' Beckett once again wondered, picturing the man he had once called his beloved in shackles waiting on the other side of the door.

James held out a sack, and dropped it on Beckett's desk. The sack began beating. Beckett's eyes grew wide, as he contemplated the power that lay before him. "The heart of Davey Jones" James confirmed.

Beckett reached out to take the sack, but James snatched it away. Beckett's brow furrowed.

"Oh, I'm not proposing a trade, Lord Beckett." James explained. "And if I was, I'd hardly be careless enough to trade something this valuable for a career as a privateer."

"Privateer?" Beckett slithered. "I think we can do better than that, Admiral Norrington"

James considered this, but then shook his head.

"Very well, Mr Norrington, what is it that you want?"

James thought for a moment, and then looked at the heart "I want to hang on to this for the time being, and I want to have a warm bath while I consider exactly how much this heart is worth to you. Tell me, Cutler," James took a seat, making himself right at home, "What is it you plan to do with that power?"


	3. Chapter 3: Barbossa!

**Chapter 3: Barbossa! (AKA I forgot they'd be needing the Pearl)**

Gibbs gazed out at the river near Tia Dalma's hut, contemplating his next story. While Jack and Will were deep in thought about their respective losses, Pintel and Ragetti argued over the magical significance of various objects lying around the hut, and Cotton merely stood, pondering things we will never know. Tia Dalma wandered around, holding a plate full of mugs of rum. She offered them to Pintel, Ragetti, Cotton and Gibbs, who took them eagerly. Then she walked up to Will, who had been carving holes in her table with his father's knife, and knelt down beside him. He took a mug from the plate and placed it on the table.

"Ye lost yer fiance and de means to save yer fadah." She said consolingly.

But losing his fiance was not what was troubling Will. The fact that he felt no sense of loss or sadness at Elizabeth's death troubled him immensely. He loved her... didn't he? Will opened his mouth to speak, not knowing quite what to say.

"Shh" Tia Dalma said, putting her fingers to Will's lips. "I know. It's all right. It will become clear to ye who ye really are in time."

Jack looked over at Tia Dalma, struck by what she had just said. Will himself had no idea what she was talking about, but he shook his head and continued his artwork on her table.  
Jack looked at Will, a seed of revelation planted in his mind, but was too preoccupied to continue this particular line of thought. Tia Dalma approached Jack and offered him a mug, which he took.

"De Pearl..." she said softly, placing a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder. "I know how much yer ship meant to you. It was yer consolation prize fer..." she ran her hand down his arm and to his wrist, where it rested on the blistering red 'P'

Jack looked down at his wrist, remembering that night. He could still feel the burning sensation; still see the menacing look in Cutler's face. He breathed in deeply and let out a heavy sigh. He took a large swig of the rum and let it trickle down his throat as the memory began to fade.

"Ye are still in danger, Jack Sparrow" Tia Dalma continued, disctacting Jack from his recollections. "Davey Jones will soon learn of yer survival."

"Then my goal remains the same. Find the heart." Jack whipped out his compass, but was disappointed to find that its needle still hadn't settled on a particular direction.

"It's useless without the Pearl in any case." Will cut in. "Even if we find the heart, how do we get to it?"

Jack shook his head "If Davey Jones raised the Pearl once, would he just let it sink back into oblivion?"

"No" Tia Dalma piped up. "Yer ship," she nodded towards Jack, "and yer fiance," she nodded towards Will, "are most likely being held in Davey Jones Lockah."

Jack and Will looked at each other eagerly. Will then felt a stab of guilt. Elizabeth was alive somewhere, and he was ready to forget her. He should want to see her again. He should want to go after her. He should be desperate to have her back. Why wasn't he?

"What would ye do, Jack?" Tia Dalma asked "To fetch back yer precious Pearl? Would ye sail to de ends o' de Eart' and beyond?"

"Aye!" Jack responded in a deep, resolute voice.

"And you, William? Would ye do the same to see yer pretty fiance?"

Will hesitated. "Yes." he said finally, but with far less conviction than Jack.

"Alright. But if ye goin' brave the weird and haunted shores at World's End, den... ye will need a Captain who knows dose watahs." She turned around and looked upstairs. The footsteps of heavy boots could be heard from above, and everyone gathered around to see who it was. Suddenly, the owner of the boots came into view. Gibbs' eyes bulged. Pintel and Ragetti looked at each other. Cotton raised his eyebrows. Will took a small step back. Jack winced and took a large step back. Everyone was shocked.

"So tell me..." Barbossa announced in an ominous tone, "What's become of me ship?" He bit into an apple, and Jack the monkey climbed onto his shoulder, and watched the juice squirt out of his mouth. Barbossa laughed at everyone's astonishment as Jack the Monkey let out a blood-curdling screech.


	4. Chapter 4: At World's End Intro

**Chapter 4: At World's End Intro (AKA This one's for the Norrie Fangirls)**

James Norrington slipped into the steamy bath, letting the warmth infuse into his tense muscles. He smiled contently as the mud dissolved from his lean, muscular body. It felt good. He held his breath and dipped his head under the water, wiping the mud from his face and hair with his soft hands. He resurfaced from the water and let out a deep sigh as he lent his head against the bathtub, savoring the moment of pure bliss after months of bad hygiene. He closed his eyes and let himself drift into semi-consciousness.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the bathroom door. James immediately opened his eyes and picked up his sword, which he had placed next to the bath earlier. He pointed his sword at the door, briefly glancing at the heart, which sat on a footstool he had placed next to the bath. With this kind of power localized within so small an object, James was not about to take any chances.

"Yes?" He called. The door opened, and Beckett entered the room. James kept the sword pointed at him, but did not stand. He fastened his gaze on Beckett, warily. "I see you've got the chest"

"I did." Beckett replied, looking away out of etiquette, although he would have been quite happy to continue looking at the surprisingly attractive Mr Norrington. "Davey Jones has become quite pliable since you showed him that heart." Beckett set the chest down on a nearby bench and continued. "Have you decided what you intend to use the heart for?"

Keeping a firm grip on his sword, James rose from the bath, no longer feeling in a relaxed mood. He stepped out of the bath and, with his free hand, he took a towel and attempted to wrap it around himself. He eventually settled for holding the towel in front of the necessary area, wondering why Beckett was still in the room at all. James reluctantly decided that he might as well tell Beckett his story now, if the man insisted upon staying to hear it.

"Have you ever reached a point in your life where everything was perfect, only to have it all come crashing down?"

Beckett did recall such a moment in his own life. A content slice of heaven as they lay in bed together, nestled in each other's arms. A gentle nudge. A passionate kiss. But it _had_ come crashing down. The sight of his lover tenderly embracing another was forever etched in his memory.

Norrington continued. "I had just been promoted to Commodore, and was set to marry a fine young woman. And then along came a pathetic little Blacksmith and a greasy, no good pirate to ruin it all!" Caught up in what he was saying, James momentarily lowered his sword and forgot that he was practically naked. He swiftly lifted the point of the sword back up to Beckett as the man began to walk towards him.

"Jack does have a tendency to ruin things like that." Beckett sympathized, taking a step back, and James briefly wondered why he had referred to Sparrow so informally.

"I want Elizabeth. And I want Mr Turner to see me taking her, and live with it as I did."

"And Mr Sparrow?"

James shrugged. "I couldn't care less about Sparrow. He's a pirate."

"Then you won't mind if I... take him off your hands?"

"What do you want with him?"

Beckett smiled, but didn't answer the question. "So then, Mr Norrington, it would appear that our goals are very similar in nature."

- - - - -

"Jack, I really wish you could stay here longer." Belinda complained seductively as she fingered the charts that she had just given to Jack.

"Sorry Luv," he replied, running his hand down her cheek, "I've got something very important to do."

"Aww, well come back soon, ok?"

"Of course, Luv" Jack assured her as he turned and headed to shore.

- - - - -

Jack approached the deck as Barbossa and the crew were loading the last of the supplies.

"Ah, Hector! I see you've found us a ship."

"And ye got the charts?"

Jack reached into his jacket and showed Barbossa the charts, before returning them to their hiding place. He then gestured for Barbossa to proceed onto the ship before him. "After you, First Mate Barbossa."

Barbossa stopped in his tracks, whipped around and held a knife up to Jack's neck. "Ye want to try that one again?"

"Jack's upper lip curled as he looked down at the glistening knife. "I knew it," he said flippantly, "the crows nest, right?"

Barbossa dug the knife further into Jacks neck, and Jack tried not to gulp. "One more time."

"I have the charts!" Jack tried.

"Aye, so ye have, Chart-man."

"Barbossa!" Tia Dalma warned sternly. Jack couldn't fathom why this stopped Barbossa, but he wasn't about to complain.

"Aye, First Mate it is. Worked out fine for me last time. Sides, you're Capt'n of this ship, ye can't rightly be Capt'n of the Pearl, now can ye?" Barbossa said as he turned and strutted onto the ship.

Jack hadn't thought of this. "On second thought," Jack raced to catch up to Barbossa, "fine ship like this could only be captained by the wily Hector Barbossa!"

Barbossa smirked "Nice try, Jack."

"No really, this is the perfect ship for you..."

And the two continued to argue, for once, over who should [inot[/i be captain of the ship.


	5. Chapter 5: Mirrored Sea

**Chapter 5: Mirrored Sea (AKA A boring but necessary chapter)**

Jack's hand shivered as he moved the rings of the charts around, studying them intently. Will walked over to Jack and watched him curiously. After a while, Will spoke up.

"Nothing here is set. These can't be as accurate as modern charts."

"No," Jack replied knowingly, "but it leads to more places."

"Do you know how to read them?"

Jack looked at Will, offended. He didn't know how to read them, but he wasn't going to let on that he didn't. "Of course!" he lied.

"So where do we go?"

"Well, if I told you that, then you wouldn't need to ask me. Therefore, you don't need to ask me. QED, stop asking me!" Jack replied, hoping he had confused Will enough to get rid of him. He had.

Will strolled up to Barbossa, who was at the wheel, hoping that he might have some answers.

"Barbossa, you're here because you've traveled to the world of the dead. Do you know where we're going?"

"Don't ye be worryin', young Master Turner. Ye'll be reunited with yer lovely fiance soon enough." Again, Will felt a stab of guilt. He hadn't even thought of Elizabeth since they'd left Tia Dalma's hut. Will silently assured himself that once he saw her again everything would go back to normal. "It's not gettin' to the land of the dead that's the hard part," Barbossa continued, steering the wheel of the ship, "it's gettin' back."

- - - - -

"This was an excellent idea, Lord Beckett" James mused, sitting across from Beckett at a round table aboard the Flying Dutchman. Beckett added another sugar cube - the fifth, by James' count - to his tea and stirred. Beckett had suggested earlier that James take command of the enchanted ship, while Beckett remain in command of his own ship, The Endeavour. James eyed the chest, which he now kept with him at all times, before taking a sip of his own, sugarless tea.

"Well, Admiral Norrington," Beckett agreed with a smirk," there was no reason that we should let such a fine vessel go to waste. Or a mystical Captain, for that matter."

Beckett had been informed by Mercer that Jack and his cohort intended to travel to the infamous Davey Jones' Locker, and had suggested to Norrington that the best course of action to achieve their goals was to compel Mr Jones to notify them when and where the group returned to the real world. Beckett, of course, had neglected to tell Norrington that Miss Swann was not among the group.

- - - - -

Will looked out at the beautiful sight. The night sky was so clear that he could see each star individually, and the water reflected this sight so accurately that one could be forgiven for believing that they were sailing on the sky itself. Suddenly, something in the distance caught Will's attention. The water seemed to disappear, but far too close to be the horizon. After staring at it for several more minutes, it finally hit Will what he was looking at - a waterfall!

Will ran to Barbossa, who was still at the wheel. "Barbossa, ahead!" he warned.

"Aye," Barbossa confirmed, "we're good and lost now."

"Lost?" Jack, who had been sitting nearby calmly, arms folded, watching the interaction, asked with mild amusement.

"For certain you have to be lost to find a place as can't be found," Barbosa explained, "elseways everyone would know where t'was."

Jack shrugged. That made sense.

Everyone else began to panic.

"We're gaining speed!" Gibbs yelled.

"Aye." Barbossa agreed with a crazed smile.

Jack remained where he was, calm except for a slight frown on his face, and grabbed the nearest part of the ship he could find.

Will began barking orders in an attempt to keep the ship away from the waterfall. Some of the crewmembers helped, others just froze in terror. Eventually, the ship plummeted down the waterfall.


	6. Chapter 6: The Locker

Author's Notes:

I know we're not supposed to do notes on individual chapters, but something really needs to be said here. This chapter contains things that may be disturbing to some readers. I don't want to get into trouble for not adequately warning you.

I also want to say that I do not condone anything like this happening to people in real life, only to **fictional** characters.

- - - - -

**Chapter 6: The Locker (AKA Distressing the Damsel)**

Darkness.

An grating echoed voice could be heard in the distance.

"For me... me... me... as a wedding present... present... present..."

"You're going to want to know... know... know... what it tastes like... like... like..."

"Don't you see... see... see... it's the only way... way... way..."

Another voice, equally as familiar. "The only way... way... way... is to cuff _you_ to the ship... ship... ship..."

The first voice. "Jack... Jack... Jack... let go of my wrist... wrist... wrist... you're hurting me... me... me..."

A bright, blinding light.

Her eyes adjusted, and finally she could see where she was. But she was nowhere. Nothing but dessert for miles around, the Black Pearl just as stranded as herself. No Will. No Jack. No James. No anyone.

Completely alone.

Then she turned around and saw him. 

"Will!" she called. She ran up to him. He didn't move. She grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. She smiled at him, but he did not smile back. He looked at her, indifferently.

Her smile faded. 

"Will, say something. Speak to me." He didn't. He looked straight through her, as though she were not even there. 

"Will, why is this happening?" She tried to hold him, but he turned into smoke and was carried away by the wind. 

She was alone again. 

Suddenly, she felt a prick in her back. "Ow!" she cried, and she turned around to see what it was. A floating stick began poking her. It was soon joined by another one, which miraculously materialized from nothing. Several more sticks appeared out of thin air. She screamed, and tried to pull away, but she was surrounded. She grabbed one of the sticks and yanked it, falling to the floor. All the sticks, including the one in her hand, were gone. Her body was covered in bruises and small red pricks from the sticks. She nursed the largest of the bruises before standing up. She was more annoyed than actually hurt.

This feeling would not last.

She scanned her surroundings and saw a figure in the distance. She walked towards it and , as she drew closer, she realized it was Jack. He smiled as she drew near, and she was relieved to see a friendly, familiar face.

"Jack, I'm so glad to see you." she said, continuing to walk towards him. "You won't believe what I've been through. I'm completely lost, I can't find anyone, and I don't know..."

She felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Jack held her close to him, his cheek against hers, and whispered in her ear "Don't you see, Luv? It was the only way." He backed away from her and she looked down to see his sword protruding from her abdomen. Jack had the same smile on his face, and she realized that it was a smile of cruelty, not compassion. He withdrew the sword, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Jack..." she uttered weakly "Why?"

Jack ignored her as he casually wiped the blood from his sword with his shirt. As he did so, he turned in to smoke, as Will had done earlier, and faded away.

The next few minutes were a blur of consciousness and unconsciousness until finally she had the strength to once again stand. She breathed deeply in and out as she tried to calm herself down. She began to fear what might come next, and with very good reason...

"Allo Poppet" she heard from behind, and she whipped around. Pintel and Ragetti were not holding any sharp instruments, so she felt somewhat relieved. "The captain requests that you'll be dining with us, and you'll be naked." Pintel told her with an evil glint in his eye.

Ragetti giggled excitedly and looked her up and down. "Captains orders." he jeered.

"What?!" she she asked incredulously, as a wave of nausea crashed over her body.  
The two men advanced on her and she backed away, her heart beating faster and faster. She turned to run, but they were too quick for her. They tore layers of clothing from her skin. She screamed out in horror as they violated every orifice they could locate, creating new ones when they could find no more. Eventually they too disappeared into the air, leaving her limp, battered body behind.

She lay there naked for a while, curled up and trembling. Why was this happening? And why hadn't Will saved her? As if the very thought of him had conjured him up, Will appeared before her. She looked up at him, meekly reached her hand up to his. "Will, please..." she sobbed "Help me."

"I saw you kissing Jack." he said with disgust. "And now you've had it off with those two pirates." 

"No, you don't understand, it's not like that" she pleaded. 

He knelt down and leaned in to whisper in her ear "Why would I marry you now?"   
Jack suddenly appeared on the other side of her. "This is what you wanted, Luv." He said, and the words cut into her like knives. "You were so desperate for your wedding night. Now it's been given to you." 

Will stood back up and both men looked down at her with distain, before disappearing as all the other illusions before them. 

She buried her face in the sand and cried. 

"Elizabeth?" the voice of her father said after a few moments. 

She looked up. A wave of relief washed over her. "Father, please help me! Something awful has happened..." 

"Elizabeth," her father interrupted, "Is that entirely proper of you to be so underdressed in the middle of nowhere?" 

She lowered her head and wailed uncontrollably as she realized that none of these figments were going to help her, or comfort her.

- - - - -

Jack, Barbossa, Will, Pintel, Ragetti, Cotton and Tia Dalma found themselves washed up on an unremarkable shore. Jack stood immediately and looked around, searching for his beloved ship. He spotted a large sand dune, and began climbing it. Barbossa stared out to sea, and realized that the ship they had arrived in had not survived the wreck. If the Black Pearl was not here, they would all be stranded.

Will began to get nervous. As soon as he saw Elizabeth, he assured himself, everything would go back to normal. The feelings of love he had once felt would return.

"Oi, I found it!" Jack called out from the top of the sand dune, pointing. He started down the other side of the dune, and everyone followed.

- - - - -

Elizabeth ignored the crew as they came up to the nearby ship, believing them to be more torturous hallucinations. They ignored her for the most part too, except Will. He was surprised to see her naked in the middle of nowhere sobbing relentlessly. He felt bad for her, or at least he felt he should. He knelt down beside her.

"Elizabeth?" he asked tenderly. "Are you ok?"

She lifted her head slowly, fearing what she might be confronted with this time. Though Will was smiling gently, she remained skeptical. Will saw the tattered remains of Elizabeth's clothes and gallantly removed his shirt, revealing his sculpted and tanned upper body to all who cared to look in the process, and draped it over her. She accepted it gratefully, and allowed him to help her to her feet, but she was still skeptical, sensing the distance between them.

- - - - -

The crew had managed to get the Pearl back to sea, with Tia Dalma's mystical help, and Will dutifully helped Elizabeth to the ship, wondering why he was still not glad to finally see her.

"Allo Poppet." Pintel said upon seeing her, and Ragetti politely waved, but Elizabeth screamed and hid behind Will, trembling violently. Pintel and Ragetti gave each other quizzical looks and shrugged. Jack and Barbossa had managed to get into another heated debate on who should be captain of the Black Pearl and Will guided Elizabeth below deck where they could be alone, wondering if it was perhaps the confusion of the circumstances that was clouding his feelings.


	7. Chapter 7: Jack's Revelation

**Chapter 7: Jack's Revelation (AKA Will definitely doesn't like Elizabeth)**

Elizabeth sat quietly below deck while Will looked at her, or tried to look at her. More uneasy that he would have liked to be, his eyes darted all over the cabin. Elizabeth sensed the gaping distance between herself and her fiancé. She stared into Will's soulful eyes, hoping to find the comfort that she desperately longed for. Finally she spoke. 

"Will, please look at me. Tell me you love me." 

An easy enough task, Will thought. He looked at her and opened his mouth, but the words refused to be said. He looked back down, feeling guilty and confused. Elizabeth let out a trembling sigh. 

"Is it... Is it because I kissed Jack?" 

Will looked up, surprised. He had forgotten about that. Of course that was it. He wasn't out of love, he was angry! Will was relieved that he finally had an excuse to pin his feelings on. It was Elizabeth's fault that he wasn't in love with her the way he was before! 

"It was the only way." Elizabeth continued. "I did it for us, don't you see?" 

Will shook his head. Now that made absolutely no sense at all. "No, I don't see." He said coldly. 

"I was trying to distract him. So that I could cuff him to the mast of the ship, so that we could all get away from the Kraken." 

"That's absurd!" Will said spitefully, now convinced that anger over Elizabeth's indiscretion was the cause of his lost feelings. I've never heard a more pitiful excuse!"  
"Will, you know I have always loved you. Everything I have ever done has been for us, don't you realize that? Please, after all that we've been through together, are you going to throw it all away over this single act?" 

Will considered this. Logically, it would be foolish. Perhaps if he kissed her, his love would return. Will leaned his face into Elizabeth's and rested his lips upon hers. She put her arms around him and parted her lips. Will felt very awkward. Rather than pulling back, he went further. He placed a hand on her thighs and moved it up. This was exactly what a man should want, after all. 

Elizabeth tensed, recalling her ordeal in the Locker. She pushed Will's hand off her legs and pulled away, bringing her knees up to her chin. "Will, I'm so sorry, I can't." She said faintly, on the verge of tears. 

Will sat nervously, unsure what to think. He was relieved. "It's ok." He whispered. "Neither can I." Will got up and left Elizabeth to her thoughts. 

- - - - -

Jack stared at the charts. Bloody useless. He couldn't find their location anywhere. Belinda had assured him that the charts would help someone return from Davey Jones' Locker. He'd paid good money for them too. Last time he trusted that woman! 

Elizabeth finally emerged from below deck, in need of someone to talk to about Will. She spotted Jack hunched over the charts and sat down opposite him. 

Jack sighed and looked up from the charts. He was getting nowhere with them anyway. He saw that Elizabeth had been crying. Jack wondered what her problem could possibly be now. 

"You're out of the Locker, reunited with your dearly beloved and yet you're still troubled." 

Elizabeth stared out into nothing in particular as she spoke in a whisper. "I'm not entirely sure he is my dearly beloved. I'm not even sure he still loves me." 

"Well Luv, you did recently plant one on a certain albeit irresistible pirate." Jack reminded her with a smirk. 

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, it isn't that. I think he forgave me for that. He kissed me and then... But I couldn't... And then he said he couldn't." 

"Couldn't what?" And then Jack realized. "Couldn't...? You mean you two never...?" 

Elizabeth looked at Jack as if in confirmation. Jack was still stunned. 

"Do you mean to tell me that the two of you were engaged for a year, and he never even tried to...?" 

She shook her head. "Why is this happening? We were so happy." 

"Luv..." Jack began, recalling what Tia Dalma had said to Will. It all made a lot of sense now. "Did it ever occur to you that perhaps our dear William is not as enamored by fair ladies as he would have us, and probably his self as well, believe?" 

Elizabeth was confused. "What do you mean?" 

Jack didn't think he could have made it any more obvious. "I mean that perhaps our dearest Will is... more inclined to prefer the company of other gentlemen then fair maidens like yourself." 

"Jack, I don't understand." 

Jack sighed. He was bored of this now. "Lizzie, it's a good thing you've got your looks, because you're not too bright."


	8. Chapter 8: Up is Down

**Chapter 8: Up is Down (AKA Reincorporating one of my favorite characters)**

Hector Barbossa spied the charts unguarded on the table that Jack had been hunched over just hours earlier. It was nighttime, and no one was around. At least not that Hector could see. He carefully inched towards the charts and, when he was close enough, snatched them from where they lay. He briefly wondered if this was some kind of trap, but ego got the better of him as he recalled the ease with which he had mutinied against the soft and careless Captain Sparrow eleven years ago.

Hector smiled to himself and confidently looked down at the charts. His smile faded. Hector couldn't make heads or tails of the mess he saw before him. Continents were outlined, some of them familiar, but some of them merely random shapes against unfamiliar waters. Were any of them close to where they were now? He couldn't be too sure, for the charts contained no symbols, no legend that he could see, in fact no writing at all. Hector now understood why Jack had seen no reason to hide the charts from him. They were clearly of no use to anyone at all.

Luckily, Hector knew of someone who could help the crew escape the Locker. An eccentric man he had met while dead who claimed to have found a way back to the world of the living without the aid of the magic that Tia Dalma had used on Hector. This magic, of course, could not have been used on a ship, which is why the crew had had to venture to the Locker themselves. But this man had returned from the dead with a ship, and it delighted Hector to no end that the crew now had no choice but to seek this man out.

- - - - -

"So Jack," Hector teased the next day, "make any headway with those charts o' yours?"

"It's a work in progress." Jack said, avoiding the question and glancing at the charts, which were still on the table where he had left them.

"Still Captain," Hector continued, gesturing towards the wheel and making Jack frown in confusion, "We be needin' a heading."

Jack noted Barbossa's sly smile and knew exactly what the man was up to. He grudgingly walked towards the wheel and fished out his compass, hoping for an answer. Jack wasn't surprised that the needle had apparently still not made up it's mind. He knew why. He glanced subconsciously at his wrist before tossing the thought aside.

"Any ideas where we be goin'? Barbossa gloated.

Jack's lips curled up in annoyance. But surely Barbossa had just as little idea where they were going as he himself did. He turned the tables on his colleague. "I'm open to suggestions."

Hector's smile widened. Perfect. "As it just so happens, I know exactly where we should be goin' next."

A surge of adrenaline coursed through Jack's veins. Barbossa knew something that the rest of them didn't, and he was clearly relishing it. Jack was liking the situation less and less as his mind sifted through the possibilities. There was only one, and Jack prayed that he had missed something.

Barbossa continued, dramatically addressing the rest of the crew. "It's a small handful of men who've returned from the dead. And even so, no man has ever returned with a ship or any other worldly possession with him. No man... save for one." Jack cringed. He knew what was coming.

"We must pay a visit..." Hector gave a dramatic pause, savoring the moment. Only when he had the crew's anticipating and undivided attention did he continue "to Captain Teague."

Jack's shoulders slumped. He knew that Barbossa was right. They had no other option.

"Captain Teague?" Will asked, turning to Gibbs. He usually had all the answers. Apparently now was no exception.

"Aye, Teague." Gibbs replied solemnly.

"What's Jack's problem with this Teague person?" Will asked, having seen Jack's glum reaction at the mention of the Captain's name.

"Just imagine," Gibbs explained, "What could be more humiliating than the _legendary_ Captain Jack Sparrow, the very _image_ of self-sufficiency, _idol_ to his crew, slinking, tail between his legs, in front of the _whole_ crew, to go ask his _Daddy_ for help?"

- - - - -

The crew took a rowboat to the small island that housed Captain Teague. The island fit a single shack and not much more. Captain Teague sat in a chair in front of the shack, strumming a guitar. When he heard the crew approach, he glanced up, but made no other movement. When he saw Jack, his face filled with concern, but he still made no effort to move.

"Captain Teague, we come to you in desperate need of your help" Barbossa said, trying to keep the boyish grin from his face as he glanced at Jack.

Teague stopped strumming and put his guitar aside. He spoke only to Barbossa. "What's going on? Are all these people dead?"

"No no." Jack interjected quickly. The last thing he needed on top of everything else was for his father to worry about him. "Not dead, we're just here to get something."

"Get something?" Teague repeated. His attention was now solely on Jack, who found his face getting hot. "Yer messin' about with things ye shouldn't be, boy."

Try as he might, Jack couldn't think of a quick-witted comeback. Tia Dalma, who had been standing behind some members of the crew, moved forward into Teague's view. "Tell them, Teague." she said.

Jack looked, confused, from Tia Dalma to his father and back to Tia Dalma again. To Jack's surprise, Teague conceded to her. He took his guitar and began strumming again. He sang:

_"Capsized into the mirrored sea_

_Sunrise sets at the flash of green_

_Over the edge and over again_

_Sunrise sets at the flash of green_

_Up is down on the mirrored sea_

_When sunrise sets at the flash of green"_

The crew all looked at each other with uncertainty. Barbossa had been expecting more help than this. Jack was the only one who spoke.

"Up is down? That's just maddeningly unhelpful! Why are these things never clear?"

Teague gave a self-satisfied smile. Jack turned to leave, but Teague called out. "Wait!" He looked at Tia Dalma, whose gaze was transfixed on him. If Jack hadn't known any better, he would have thought that she was giving Teague some kind of silent orders. Teague turned his attention to Will, and continued "There's something else that _he_ need to hear." He began strumming the guitar strings again, the same tune as last time.

_"Stabbing the dead man's heart, you see_

_Will land you in a lot of grief_

_The Flying Dutchman needs a Captain_

_The killer shall become the Captain"_

"Rhyming Captain with Captain, clever!" Jack said sarcastically, glad to finally have a witty remark to say. Then it hit Jack what his father had actually said. "You're tellin' us that whoever stabs the heart of Davey Jones becomes the new Captain of the Dutchman? And lives forever?"

Teague smiled. "See, boy? It's not too hard to decipher, is it?"

The mocking comment made Jack all the more eager to leave. "So... is that it? Are we done? Can we go now?"

Tia Dalma walked back to the boat, and the crew followed. Jack began to follow too, but then stopped and turned back. "How's Mum?" he asked his father.

Teague held up a shrunken head in answer to his son's question.

Jack was more perplexed than repulsed. "We're in the land of the dead, how does that happen?"

Teague chuckled condescendingly, and Jack knew he would never get a straight answer out of this man. He returned to the boat with the others.

- - - - -

"Up is down..." Jack said to himself as he gazed up at the sky, laying down on a bench to get the best view. "Sunrise sets... flash of green." He had said the words so many times that the words had lost all meaning, not that they had had much meaning to begin with. "Mirrored sea... Over the edge and over again..."

"The green flash, I reckon I've seen my fair share." Gibbs told a fascinated Will. "Happens on rare occasion, at the last glimpse of sunset a green flash shoots up into the sky. Some go their whole lives without ever seeing it, some claim to have seen it who ain't, and some say…"

Pintel interrupted. "It signals when a soul comes back to this world, from the dead!"

Gibbs glared at Pintel. He'd just stolen the punch line!

"Sorry" Pinel said earnestly. He hadn't meant to take over from the exposition, it just slipped out.

Jack shook his head in amusement and returned to his previous thoughts. "Sun down... wait a minute." That wasn't right. What was it again? "Sunrise... Not sunrise, sun_down_ and rise..." Jack bolted upright "Up." Of course!

Will saw Jack running to the edge of the ship. He must've seen something. Will followed.

"What is that?" Jack asked no one in particular. Jack then ran to the other side of the ship.

Gibbs followed, curious. "Where?" He asked.

"There!" Jack exclaimed. Gibbs didn't see anything. Jack ran to the other side of the ship. This time Will, Gibbs, Cotton and Tia Dalma followed. Jack insisted that there was something to be seen, but none of the crew could see it. More of the crew joined as Jack ran from side to side of the ship, and as they did so, the ship began to rock back and forth.

"He's rocking the ship." Pintel said, perplexed.

"We're rocking the ship." Gibbs repeated.

It suddenly dawned on Barbossa what Jack was up to. Up is down. "Aye, he's onto it!"

As the Pearl rocked more and more violently the crew had to grab onto the side of the ship with each sway. Eventually, the ship tipped nearly all the way over. One last swing would do it. The crew ran to the other side of the ship and grabbed on to the railing for dear life as the ship turned completely upside down. The crew held their breaths as the top of the ship fell underwater. They waited, wondering if this was such a good idea.

The last of the sun fell below the horizon and a green flash ran through the sky. Jack saw something unusual below. Bubbles seemed to be surfacing from under the water. The water flowed from 'above' the ship to 'below' it, and the ship was now the right way up. The crew looked around, astonished.

"Blessed sweet Westerly's!" Gibbs cried. "We're back!"

"The sunrise." Will observed, looking at the horizon. Indeed, the sun was rising. The crew were now amongst the living.

- - - - -

James Norrington breathed in the salty air and let out a sigh. One hand protected the chest, and the other was poised over his sword. His thoughts were on Elizabeth. The blacksmith had stolen her from him. How could she choose those wide puppy dog eyes over his own, masculine gaze. Sure, Mr Turner's muscular frame and olive complexion had probably captured her attention, but the boy didn't have a lot to offer her. James recalled the way Turner had kissed his beloved on that island. He couldn't contain his sorrow at that point. Those soft, supple looking lips on his once betrothed infuriated James to no end. He detested the boy with all his being. His heart ached to reach out and hold him... no, strangle him... no, hold her. Yes, that was it.

"They've arrived." Beckett said, interrupting James from his thoughts. "Jones just informed me where they are."

"Right." James replied. He gave Beckett a nod and they sailed towards the location of the Black Pearl and her crew.


	9. Chapter 9: The Endeavour

**Chapter 9: The Endeavour (AKA Jackett scene, Horray!)**

Jack felt unsettled. His hand had been tingling since a few minutes after they had arrived back from the Locker, but he hadn't dared to look at it. He knew exactly what it was. Jack Sparrow still owed a debt to Davey Jones, and no doubt Jones knew that Jack was now once again amongst the living. He kept his eyes on the water, his heart racing, looking for any signs of movement. His plan to obtain the heart of Davey Jones to use it for leverage was now a lot more complicated. He knew where the heart was; it hadn't taken him long to figure _that_ out. The only person who could have taken it was the former Commodore. And Norrington had intended to exchange the heart for... what had he called it... the promise of redemption, to none other than Cutler Beckett. Foolish really, to trade something so valuable for a position in the navy. But Jack didn't dwell on that.

Cutler had the heart. The heart of Davey Jones was with Cutler. It was actually very fitting, Jack mused. The last time Jack had seen Cutler was around the same time he had made that bloody deal with ol' Jones. With the deadline on Jack's end of the deal fast approaching, Jack's thoughts had been turned to Cutler and to that time in his life more often that he would have cared for. Jack's first and only love was the sea, or so he told himself and those around him. It was true in part; the sea had been Jack's first great love, and for a long time it had been his only true love. Jack had grown up a pirate; it was in his blood and it was exactly what he wanted. But there was once a time when he had considered giving it all up for something he wanted even more.

And now? For the past 13 years, Jack had neither wanted not even thought about Cutler. But during the past few days, that damned compass... Of course Jack didn't want Cutler. Not now, not after what had happen. But the compass was obviously a lot less certain of that than Jack was.

Jack suddenly saw something in the water. The movement that he had been waiting for, to far away to see if he hadn't been looking. When they had arrived back from The Locker, they were in the middle of the ocean. They'd begun towards land soon after, at full speed, but they were still far from any land that Jack could see. A dark cloud of dread fell over Jack as he realized that they weren't going to make it in time.

"Weapons!" He called out, knowing it was fruitless.

The crew scurried into action, but before they knew it, the Kraken was next to the ship. Curiously, it did not attack. The crew waited anxiously, cannons, rifles and pistols poised, for the Kraken's tentacles to rise above the water. They did not. Jack turned around and looked in all directions. It was then that he noticed the Endeavour heading towards them. The Kraken on one side, Cutler's ship on the other. A new kind of dread filled Jack's body. He understood immediately. Cutler had the heart, and he was using it as leverage to get what he wanted.

- - - - -

James boarded the Black Pearl, his thoughts on the chest that he had left in the care of the two most trustworthy, if not the most bumbling, members of the Royal Navy. He did feel confident, however, that Beckett would not try anything with two large cannons aimed squarely at the chest. Still, he couldn't help but worry.

"Here on behalf of Lord Beckett, former Commodore?" Jack practically spat out the name.

James glared at him. "And what makes you presume I haven't come here of my own accord?" He then addressed the whole crew. "I have the heart of Davey Jones, I have control of the Kraken, and I have come for two things. Once I have them, the rest of the crew will be left alone." He spoke with a coldness that surprised him.

"Name your terms, Mr Norrington" Barbossa said with authority.

Jack gave him an annoyed look. "Captain says those kinds of things! Name your terms."

Barbossa rolled his eyes as James continued with a smile. "You, Mr Sparrow, and Miss Swann."

Will reacted, ready to protect Elizabeth. He still felt a sense of duty to her, even if all other feelings towards her had disappeared.

Elizabeth looked at Will. He wasn't angry at her for betraying him. He didn't hate her. He didn't yearn for her. She saw in his eyes... he felt nothing for her. The sting of that realization made her eyes prickle with tears. But James - he wanted her. He had loved her once. She longed to have arms encircling her, telling her it was all going to be ok. Before she was aware what she was doing, she had ran to James and buried herself in his body.

James was confused as he wrapped his arms around Elizabeth. He had expected much more resistance than this. He had expected her to stay with Turner. He had expected to have to threaten and fight, to kill Turner if need be. What in the world could have taken place since the last time he had seen these people?

"Right..." he said nervously, unsure of the situation. He pointed his sword towards Jack. "Sparrow, come with me."

"You already have your bonnie lass, which I was rooting for you all along by the way. What do you want with me?"

James smiled. "Actually, I'm here to collect you for someone else. There's an old friend who wants to see you."

Jack's heart sank. "I'm not certain I can survive any visits from old friends."

"Well now's your chance to find out." Norrington said ominously, his sword pointed at Jack.

- - - - -

Jack was led into Beckett's cabin by two burly guards, who kept a firm grip on him even once he was inside. When he saw Cutler staring out the window, his back to Jack and the guards, his heart soared. For a moment, Jack was transported back in time. A head lay upon his chest as he peacefully drifted off to sleep. A soft hand traced the contours of his body before settling on his stomach. The slow rhythmic breaths on his neck turned into a delicate snore. Jack ached to have this moment back, but he knew it was gone forever. Beneath that supple skin he had delighted in touching so long ago, there was a poisonous cruelty that Jack could not forget.

Cutler turned around and took in Jack's presence. The years had been very good to him. But through Jack's eyes poured a wealth of experiences that Cutler knew he himself would never have. Cutler nodded at the guards and they left the pair alone. Jack hoped that the whirlpool of emotions within him would not prevent him from manipulating Cutler should the need arise. The guards stood outside the cabin to ensure that Jack could not escape.

Jack finally spoke up. "What do you want?" he asked bitterly, taking a seat on a nearby chair.

Cutler took another chair and sat opposite Jack, facing him. He held the compass, which the guards had taken from Jack earlier. He opened it and showed it to Jack. Sure enough, the needle pointed towards him. "I want you to tell me something." Cutler said earnestly, his eyes probing Jack's. "Did you ever really love me?" he asked in a whisper.

Jack was transfixed. This wasn't at all what he had expected. Or was this some form of manipulation. Jack wasn't going to give Cutler the upper hand. He remained silent.

Cutler stood and walked a few steps away. "Just as I thought." he said, a hint of vulnerability in his voice. Cutler then turned back to face Jack. "Why did you do it?" he asked furiously. "Was it really all about the ship?"

Jack still didn't answer. The words had come so easily to him when they were together, but now Jack couldn't speak without recalling the sting on his wrist.

Cutler fumed at the lack of response. He lunged at Jack, grabbing his shirt collar and leaning his face into Jack's. "Answer me!" he cried.

Jack was surprised by the strength of the small man. He stared into Cutler's green eyes and answered truthfully. "I loved you. I loved you..." more than anything. He felt a lump in his throat and he couldn't finish. Cutler threw down Jack's collar in frustration and backed away, composing himself. "How could you do it to me?" he said finally.

Jack stood and sauntered over to Cutler, shoving his wrist in front of the man, showing him the seared flesh. "There are those who would call what you did to me torture." He shot back.

Cutler looked down ruefully, but his rage was still present. "You betrayed me first."

"What I did to you was nothing compared to what you did to me." Jack said, returning to the chair

Cutler narrowed his eyes at Jack. Nothing? "You stole my ship. You stole my cargo and you **fornicated with it!!**" He was shaking with rage. He took a few breaths to calm himself and then continued in a whisper. "Why?"

Jack had no response for this, no excuse, and he hated himself for it.

"Why?" Cutler repeated in a louder tone. This was the moment that Cutler had been waiting for these 13 years. This is what he had worked towards; the chance to get Jack alone and to have an answer. But it was more than that, that Cutler wanted. He knelt down before Jack, grabbing his shirt again, almost begging for answers. "Jack, tell me why. Did she offer you something that I couldn't? Was there something I could have done, something I could have said? Is there anything I can do now to have you back?"

Jack blinked, taking in what Cutler had just said. The sight of this man, the hope and sincerity in his eyes, tugged on Jack's heart. But he couldn't. He shook his head. "No."

Cutler let go of Jack's shirt and let his hands fall slowly in front of him. He was crushed. "Then at least give me an answer to my question."

"I... I don't have one. I'm sorry"

Cutler stood up, his wrath quickly returning. "You ruined... everything. And you don't have an answer?"

Ruined everything? Had Jack really ruined it? He hadn't thought so at the time. Had she offered anything that Cutler hadn't? What had made her so enticing?

"What happened that day, Jack?"

Jack hesitated. "You know what happened."

"I know what I saw, tell me the rest of it."

What, did he want details? "You don't want to hear..."

"Tell me!" Cutler yelled.

Jack sighed. "You sent me to transport cargo to England. The cargo turned out to be people, did you know that?"

"They were slaves." Cutler confirmed, resolving to listen to what Jack had to say.

"They were people." Jack countered. "I knew one of them. Her name's Tia Dalma."

"She was the one I saw you with?"

"You don't really want to hear this..."

"Did you love her?"

"No, I loved you." Jack was startled by his openness, and even more startled that it continued. "I only ever loved you. Cutler, I swear it's the truth."

Cutler believed Jack. His rage subsided, but he still wanted answers. "Then why? When you decided... to betray me... what was it that she did?"

The answer slipped out of Jack's mouth before it had even entered his mind. "She kissed me without looking over her shoulder first."

There were a few moments of silence as the weight of the statement came down on them both. Jack recalled the countless times he had affectionately taken Cutler's hand in his, only to have it batted away. He recalled the day Cutler had told Jack, addressing him as Mr Sparrow of course, that he was to be Captain of the Wicked Wench. All he had wanted to do was take Cutler in his arms and kiss him, but he had had to settle for a distant handshake. Jack had never realized before now how much that had hurt.

"Jack, you know we couldn't..."

This was all getting too much for Jack. He had not bared his soul to someone like this in many years. He eyed the door, looking for a way to escape.

"Jack, I still want you" Cutler told him, hoping that Jack had changed his mind.

"You want me in your bedroom. And when we go outside, when everyone can see us, how much will you want me then?"

"That's the way it would have to be." Cutler replied sadly. He offered Jack the compass. Jack was just as curious as Cutler as to where the compass needle would point. Both men looked as Jack opened it. Cutler's heart soared. The needle pointed unflinchingly towards him.

"It makes no difference." Jack said dismissively. "My answer's still the same." He walked towards the door and opened it. The guards attempted to recapture him, but he closed the door in their faces, knocking them out. Jack raced as quickly as he could towards the Deck.

The Black Pearl was still there. He spotted a cannon and a rope nearby. Jack set to work creating a slingshot for himself. Cutler caught up with him, and frowned in confusion when he saw that Jack was doing.

"You're mad!" Cutler said, picturing himself nursing the injuries Jack was sure to obtain.

Jack smiled weakly. He desperately wanted to joke, to forget the conversation he'd just had. "Thank goodness for that," he remarked, "because if I wasn't, this'd probably never work." Jack lit a fuse on the cannon and was flung into the air and across to his ship.

The crew watched in awe as their captain returned to the ship - intact. "And that was without a single drop of rum" he quipped, trying desperately to lift his heavy heart.

- - - - -

Cutler watched the Black Pearl sail away. Lieutenant Groves came up behind him. At that moment, the mast of Cutler's ship began to fall. The cannon that Jack had fired had obviously struck it. Cutler closed his eyes as his anger renewed itself.

Groves was awe-struck. "Do you think he plans it all out or just makes it up as he goes along?"

Beckett shot daggers at Groves with his eyes, and Groves got the message, turning to gather the crew members who repaired the ship.

Cutler turned his attention back towards the Black Pearl and watched the distance between himself and Jack increase with alarming speed. Cutler resolved once again that he would have Jack, no matter what it took.


	10. Chapter 10: The Kiss

**Chapter 10: The Kiss (AKA Extricating the Distressing Damsel - Second try)**

James Norrington opened the door to the cabin of the Flying Dutchman and led Elizabeth inside. To his surprise, she went willingly. Now that he had her with him, James wasn't entirely sure what to do with her. He had only thought as far ahead as the look of jealousy and anger in Turner's eyes. James wasn't sure what to make of Turner's actual reaction. His hand had shot towards his sword, ready to defend her. But there had been no passion in his actions. Elizabeth's behavior had puzzled him even more. She had practically thrown herself at James. Obviously the two had had some sort of quarrel. No matter, James had exactly what he wanted now. He had his high station, he had Elizabeth, and he had his life back on track. Everything was perfect. So then, why was there a nagging feeling in the pit of James' stomach that something was missing?

Elizabeth had taken a seat on the Captain's bed. She waited for James to sit next to her. She had been so lonely and confused since her experience in the Locker. Part of her wondered if she wasn't still there, if this all wasn't another hallucination to add to her torment. Will being so apathetic towards her, she held a small hope that the real Will was going to come and rescue her from her hell. But she knew... this was different to all those other hallucinations. This was real. She looked up at James and silently pleaded for him to sit beside her. He looked lost in his own thoughts, his brow wrinkled. Eventually, he did sit next to her, though he still seemed bothered by something. He looked into her eyes.

"Elizabeth..."

"James." she replied in a whisper.

James wasn't sure what to say. "I'm overjoyed that you're safe and well."

Elizabeth looked down. She wasn't so sure that was true.

"Is everything ok?" he asked.

Tears welled in her eyes until she could hold them back no longer. She lent on his shoulder, her body shaking as she sobbed. James awkwardly put his hand on her back to comfort her. The odd thing was, James didn't seem to care why Elizabeth was so upset. All he could think about was Turner. Did he love her? Had he found someone else. James shook his head and tried to focus on the woman before him, but his mind kept drifting.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Enter." James said, eyes darting towards the chest, which had been locked safely in his cabin.

Beckett brooded into the room. "Mr Norrington, my prisoner has escaped. I require you to order Jones to send this pet after the Black Pearl again."

"No." James said immediately, unsure why he was so against an attack on the ship.

"But you already have your woman." Cutler argued. _Let me go after mine..._

Elizabeth looked up at that remark. "Your woman...?"

James grew slightly uncomfortable with the way Elizabeth was staring at him. She inched closer to him, the desperation evident in her eyes. Their lips met.

Cutler watched on in revulsion, unable to turn away. There was something slightly off about what he was witnessing.

When Elizabeth tried to let her tongue glide over James' lips, he shuddered and pulled away. His eyes darted around confused and embarrassed. He fumbled out an apology and hastily left the room, but not before taking the chest with him.

Elizabeth wrapped her arms slowly around herself in a daze. Her lower lip trembled. Was she really destined to be alone for the rest of her life? She spotted Lord Beckett still standing in the cabin, somewhat baffled himself by the events he'd just observed. Presently, he became aware that she was looking at him. An expression somewhere between fear and disgust fell over his face.

He turned to Mercer, who was waiting for him outside. "Mr Mercer, send this woman to the brig." he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

- - - - -

Cutler made his way towards Norrington, who was massaging his temples.

"I take it, then, that Miss Swann was not what you were after?"

James merely sighed, lost in his thoughts.

"Perhaps we should go after Sparrow again."

James looked at Beckett. "The sleazy pirate ruined my life as well. Trust me, it does no good to hold a grudge."

Cutler stared down at his hands, fidgeting. How could he explain to Norrington that "the sleazy pirate" had done far more to Cutler than simply ruin his life? Jack Sparrow had intricately woven Cutler's very soul into his own.

- - - - -

Elizabeth sobbed woefully as she sat in the brig of the Flying Dutchman. She leant her head against the wall. She frowned. What was that? She shook her head. Her mind was obviously playing tricks on her. No, there it was again! Movement. In the walls. She wiped the tears from her face and stood up. She moved closer to get a better look. It was difficult to see in the darkness, but she thought she saw a face. She reached a hand out to touch it. Suddenly, the face sprang to life.

"William?" it asked

"What?" Elizabeth whispered.

The face, and the body attached o it, emerged from the wall. Suddenly, Elizabeth realized who it was. The only person on the Flying Dutchman who would be asking for Will.

"Bootstrap?"

"You know my name?" Bootstrap said in awe.

Elizabeth was glad to have some company. "Yes, I know your son" she replied.

"God's boons!" Bootstrap boomed, startling Elizabeth. "He made it! He's alive, and now he sends you to tell me that he's coming to get me."

"Yes, Will is alive." she replied.

"He's coming for me" Bootstrap repeated, backing into the wall again. "Part of the ship, part of the crew..." He closed his eyes.

"Bootstrap?"

"You know my name." Bootstrap said, as though he had never seen Elizabeth before.

"Yes..." Elizabeth repeated, confused. "I know your son."

"William?! He's coming for me! Wait and see. He's coming for me..." Bootstrap closed his eyes once again.

Elizabeth had never felt more alone in her life.

- - - - -

Will looked down at the ocean from the side of the ship. Jack had ordered them to travel at full speed, worried that Beckett or Norrington might send the Kraken after them again. Will observed that, were someone to fall overboard, the ship would pass and be miles away before the person had time to alert anyone. He took a few steps back and returned to his previous concerns. He didn't see Jack approach him.

"My tremendous intuitive sense of the male creature informs me that you are troubled." He said, offering Will a bottle of rum, which the lad didn't take.

"I was just thinking about what your father told us. If I stab Davey Jones' heart to free my father, mine has to take its place."

"Not a sacrifice I'd imagine any parent would expect their child to make for them." Jack said.

"I suppose. The only thing that was keeping me from doing it earlier was my love for Elizabeth. But now... I don't know. Jack, I've never been so confused before in my life."

Jack looked at Will intently, his eyes searching for the answer to the boy's dilemma "You're in love." He said finally.

Will shook his head. "I'm not. I know I'm not. Sure, I want Elizabeth to be happy if possible, but whether I ever see her again..." Will trailed off and shrugged.

"I never said you were in love with the distressing damsel." Jack considered something for a moment, and then slowly moved towards Will.

Will backed away, unsure what Jack was about to do. "Jack, what are you doing?" Will asked, feeling the railing of the ship up against him - he couldn't back away any further.

"Just... trust me." Jack whispered, closing the distance between them.

"I'm not in love with you either." Will blurted suddenly.

"I know that." Jack told him, still whispering, their faces barely an inch apart. "Don't move."

Poor Will made another attempt to get away, and nearly fell over the edge. Jack grabbed Will's shirt to catch him, and then pulled the whelp closer and kissed him.

The feel of Jack's moustache against Will's lips was strangely intriguing. Will put his hands on Jack's shoulders to push him away, but found that he didn't really want to. For a moment, Will was lost in the sensation. Then he pulled away, mildly embarrassed.

Jack drew away, his pensive eyes locked on Will's, waiting for his reaction.

Will didn't know what to do. His face reddened as he tried to avoid Jack's stare.

"Warm or cold?" Jack asked

"Huh?"

"Was that closer to what you wanted than your bonnie lass or further away?"

Will considered this. He didn't understand what Jack was trying to tell him. "You're a man."

"So I am." Jack said, trying not to be too condescending to the poor boy.

"But..."

"Don't think about that. Just answer the question."

"I..." Will began. Could he tell Jack the truth? "What... what if I did like it?"

Jack smiled, raising his eyebrows. "Then I think you've just cleared up some of your confusion."

Will's thoughts were scattered. He couldn't comprehend what Jack was suggesting. His thoughts turned to the only thing on his mind that was completely unrelated to what Jack had just done. "What about my father? How can I help him?"

Jack scoured his thoughts for a solution. Cutler was still in the back of his mind. In truth, Cutler had been at the forefront of his mind when he had kissed Will. Cutler and Norrington still had control over the Kraken. Jack had to get away. He would not surrender an inch of his freedom. Whoever stabbed the heart would be free to roam the seven seas as they wished for all eternity. In actuality, it was the solution to both of their problems.

"Why not let someone else dispatch Jones?"

"Who?" Will asked. Jack smiled. "You?" Jack raised his eyebrows in confirmation.

"You'd do that for me?"

"No." Jack scoffed. "I'd do it for me. _The Immortal Captain Jack Sparrow_. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"But... you'd be bound to the Flying Dutchman... forever."

"No mate, I'd be free forever. Free from Jones, free from the beastie, free from Cut..." Jack stopped.

"Free from what?" Will probed, curious.

Jack didn't particularly feel like discussing his painful past, let alone to the sweet, dough-eyed whelp. "Listen, if you manage to get your hands on the heart, I'll stab it for you, savvy?" And Jack left Will alone before another word could be spoken.

Will considered Jack's proposal, looking at his father's knife. He began to walk away, when he suddenly slipped and fell over the edge of the ship. He landed in the water with a splash, and swam as quickly as he could back up to the surface. By the time his face met the air, the ship was long gone.

- - - - -

Elizabeth shook at the bars, trying to either get out or get someone's attention. She succeeded in the latter, though not in the way she had hoped.

"No one leaves the ship." A voice called out from behind.

"Bootstrap, please. I know your son, remember? I'm a friend of his."

"A friend, yes..." Bootstrap spoke as though hypnotized. "Part of the crew, part of the ship. Part of the crew, part of the ship. Part of the crew..." He held a stick in his hand and advanced on Elizabeth. She tried to back away, but it was too late. The stick that he held was already through her body. "Part of the ship." Bootstrap continued. Then he returned to the wall that he had come from.

Elizabeth collapsed in a heap.

- - - - -

Davey Jones had a sudden sensation. A soul was on the brink of death. He tried in vain to discreetly get away without Norrington or Beckett noticing, but he couldn't. Eventually, he managed to get down to his brig. He saw her lying on the floor. He tried to make a grand entrance, leering evilly towards her. He opened the door and stood beside her lifeless body.

"Elizabeth Swann, do you fear..."

Something was wrong. He nudged her with his leg, but she didn't respond. He was too late. She had already passed on.

Damn!

Frustrated, Davey Jones turned and stalked away.


	11. Chapter 11: A Shift in Power

**Chapter 11: A Shift in Power (AKA Prepare to Squee) **

James Norrington watched with mild disgust as Lord Beckett stirred yet another sugar cube into his tea. James usually tended to prefer one or two lumps in his own tea, but after watching Beckett add sugar cube after sugar cube to the syrupy concoction he then proceeded to drink, James could no longer even look at sugar without feeling queasy.  
He caught Beckett cast a surreptitious glance at the chest, and James placed his hand over it possessively. He could feel the heart within it beating, though somewhat faster than usual. 

"What?" Cutler asked when he saw the look of concern on Norrington's face. 

"The heartbeat has sped up." 

"It's most likely that one of our crewmembers is on the brink of death, and Jones is excited at the prospect of recruiting another addition to his crew." Beckett replied nonchalantly. 

James stood in alarm. "Well then we must help them!" he said, incredulous at Beckett's apathy. He took the chest and raced outside. 

Cutler rolled his eyes and took another sip from his tea.

- - - - -

James made his way through the crowd of sea creatures and human crewmembers to see Davey Jones standing over whatever poor soul was lying unconscious on the floor.  
"Will Turner..." _Turner?!_ "...do you fear..." 

"No!" James cried, unsure why his own heart was racing so violently. He darted towards the body to see that it was indeed the young blacksmith whose almost lifeless frame had created such a commotion. James knelt down beside him, placing the chest on the ground. 

"What happened?" James asked, unable to bring his trembling voice any higher than a whisper. 

"We saw him out at sea not too far from here, so we brought him aboard." One of the human crew members informed him. 

Will opened his eyes slightly to see the angelic vision of Commodore Norrington's concerned face looking over him. He groaned a little in pain and then slipped back into unconsciousness. 

James was relieved that the boy was alive. He was weak, but a good night's rest should see him on his feet. James took Will in his arms and lifted him up. 

Cutler emerged from the room where he had just finished his tea, to see Norringon taking... was that Mr Turner? Indeed, Norrington was taking Turner into his cabin. Cutler noticed something on the floor nearby. His heart leapt. The chest. No, it couldn't be. Norrington guarded that chest with his life. It must be empty, Cutler concluded. Still, he knelt down by the chest and opened it. Cutler gasped. There, inside the chest, was the beating heart of Davey Jones. Cutler could scarcely contain his excitement as he closed the chest and took it into his own cabin on the Endeavour.

- - - - -

After settling Will gently onto his bed, James poured some water into a dish on his bedside table and dipped a handkerchief into it. Turner had some cuts on his face and body, most likely from rocks in the water. He carefully wiped the blood and dirt from the boy's face, and then stared at him. His mind wandered back to the day when he had first fallen in love, or thought he had fallen in love, with Elizabeth. It was about four years ago, she and Turner would have been about 17, and James was a young man of 25. He had seen the two of them walking together and had been struck by what a beautiful sight it had been. There was a radiance emanating from their direction, which James had attributed to Elizabeth's good looks. 

James ran his fingers down Will's cheek as he finally understood. It had been Will all along. Will, with his wide-eyed innocence, his sense of honor, his trusting nature, his loyalty and his kindness, had captured James' heart. 

He kept his hands on Will's face, unwilling to remove them. He was suddenly overcome with the urge to kiss the boy, and to his surprise, he did not fight it. He lent into Will, pausing momentarily to take in the sight of Will's serene face. Those lips beckoned to be joined by his. James gulped and allowed his mouth to connect with Will's. He felt a rush of pure joy stem from his centre to his extremities as his eyes slowly closed of their own accord. 

The semi-conscious Will registered that two lips were pressed upon his own; lips that were surrounded by course hairs. He was just alert enough to recall the kiss that Jack had planted on him. He turned his head away and mumbled "Jack, no..." before drifting once again into unconsciousness. 

James was frozen, his face still hovering above Will's. _Jack_? Jack _Sparrow_? James hadn't even entertained the notion that, while alert, Will would ever be attracted to another man, let alone to James. But it appeared that not only had Will been with other men, there was one man in particular that was in his thoughts. James' heart grew heavy as he pulled away from the stunning face, and continued cleaning Will's wounds. 

"You're becoming careless, Mr Norrington." 

James whipped around to see Beckett sneering at him. He looked around for the chest... The chest! He hadn't taken it into the cabin with him because he was carrying Will. Where had he left it? 

"It's not here." Beckett said, as though reading his thoughts. "It's safely aboard the Endeavour. I must admit, I was a little surprised that you'd left it unguarded. Though standing here now, I can see why." 

James looked at Will. His face grew red as he turned cautiously back to Beckett. 

"He is breath taking, isn't he?" Beckett said, clearly taking great delight in James' awkwardness. "You know, I have half a mind to separate the two of you and not allow you to go after him, the way you wouldn't allow me to go after Jack." 

James frowned in confusion. "You're attracted to Jack Sparrow?" 

Beckett avoided the question. "I've just ordered Jones to send the Kraken after the Black Pearl. We'll be arriving shortly. I've decided to take the Dutchman as my own. You may remain aboard, so long as you don't interfere with my plans. Are we in agreement, James?" 

James gave Beckett a fierce look, but nodded. Beckett leered and left the room. 

James looked down at Will once again. What had he done?


	12. Chapter 12: Pursuit

**Chapter 12: Pursuit (AKA Shameless Willington angst and sexual tension)**

Will opened his eyes groggily and took in his surroundings. He bolted upright when nothing seemed familiar. Where was he? He looked around and saw Mr Norrington asleep in a chair next to the bed. His eyes lingered on the former Commodore for a moment, before looking around the room. He noticed that his shirt, his sword, and everything else he had had on him, apart from his pants, were bunched together on a nearby table. He looked down at himself and saw a bandage wrapped around his forearm. There were some minor scratches on his chest and another bandage around his waist. He laid himself back down, his muscles aching. The last thing he remembered was struggling to stay afloat after he had fallen from the Black Pearl. After Jack had kissed him.

Will glanced back over at Norrington. He didn't know why the man was so captivating. Will felt the corners of his mouth pinching into a smile, and shook his head. What was he doing? He looked away, but his eyes wandered back to the man. Norrington's head was tilted to the side and his wig sat lopsided atop his brown hair, which poked out from underneath. He had a shadow of whiskers that could not quite be called a beard yet. Will's eyes glided over the former Commodore's upper body. Norrington wasn't wearing a jacket, and his slender frame was tauntingly veiled by his shirt. His arms were folded over his stomach. Will looked away, realizing he was staring. What Will was feeling was gratitude; that was all. Mr Norrington had rescued Will once before. He recalled the day he had looked up and seen the then Lieutenant's kind eyes staring back down at him, and his heart skipped a beat. Will chuckled. He must be delirious to be thinking like this. He had been out at sea for too long. Or around Jack too long. He let out a heavy sigh as he allowed his muscles to relax against the soft bed, closing his eyes once more.

Norrington must have heard Will's sigh, because he stirred slightly. Will opened his eyes and watched him.

"Wi... Turner." James said, surprised to see Will awake. He stood from his chair and cleared his throat nervously. After discovering how he felt about Will the previous night, James found that he didn't quite know how to act around the boy. "Ca... can I get you something to eat?"

Will was rather hungry. He nodded, keeping his eyes on Norrington.

James started towards the cabin door.

"Thank you." Will said suddenly.

James stopped and looked at Will, who smiled.

"I can only assume that you rescued me and applied these bandages. You obviously stayed with me all night." Will gestured towards the chair as he began to feel something in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't quite describe; a strange sense of closeness to the former Commodore. "I just... wanted to thank you for that."

James gave a wide grin, and the feeling in Will's stomach strengthened.

"You're quite welcome, Mr Turner." James said, feeling positively giddy as he walked out of the room.

- - - - -

When James emerged from his cabin and saw Beckett, a guard either side of him and the chest securely under his arm, sneering, his giddiness subsided. He recalled how Will had spoken Jack's name when he had kissed the young man. James did not want to contemplate Will's reaction when Beckett finally reached the Black Pearl and took Jack prisoner. He remembered the day only a year ago that Will had rescued Jack from the gallows, and he knew that Will would not hesitate to come to Jack's aid again. And what would James do? Would he stand by Will's side only to lose the one he loved to another man again, along with everything else? Or would he side with Beckett, remove Jack from the equation and lose Will anyway, but regain his reputation and respect? James wasn't aware of it, but he had already decided the answer to that question.

- - - - -

James returned to his cabin carrying a tray of food to see Will out of bed and trying in vein to put on his shirt. He was still weak from keeping himself afloat in Open Ocean for several hours the previous day, and though tremendously light, the shirt looked like it weighed a tonne in the poor boy's hands. James set the tray down on a nearby table.

"Would you like some help?" James offered, not waiting for a reply as he took Will's shirt from his hands, moving behind him. Will didn't argue as James slid the shirt over his arms. When the shirt fell over Will's body, James' hands rested on Will's tense shoulders. Without thinking, he began massaging them. Will closed his eyes gratefully as relief ran down his back, and a moan escaped his lips. James knew that he was indulging himself, he had to tell Will about Beckett's plans for Jack. But for the moment, he remained silent as he let his hands slide down Will's strong back, his thumbs and fingers digging into the tender flesh as it relaxed beneath his fingertips.

Will felt James coming slowly closer to him, and his knees almost buckled. James thumbs were pressing into his lower back, moving in two circular motions that masterfully untied invisible knots. Will's skin began to tingle as James' breath poured over his shoulder and down his chest. Will closed his eyes as his head leant back under it's own weight. He let out a small sigh. The feeling in Will's stomach transformed into something entirely different and took control of a lower part of his anatomy. Will opened his eyes when he realized what was happening. His body tensed again and his face burnt with embarrassment.

James pulled his hands away awkwardly when he felt Will becoming apprehensive. He had gotten carried away. James felt uncomfortable as he found himself unable to articulate anything and unsure where to put his hands or direct his eyes. He hadn't taken advantage of Will's compromised position, had he? He wanted his hands connected to that skin again. He felt his being reaching out for Will, but he forced his body to ignore his desire.

Will felt awful. Mr Norrington was benevolently trying to make Will feel better after his ordeal and Will had turned it into something sexual. Why had he done that? Will had wanted James at that moment, that much he knew. It wasn't just some response to a stimulus. Will was surprised to find that he still wanted James, even though the distance between them was closer to that dictated by decorum. Was this what Jack had been trying to tell him? But Mr Norrington was attracted to Elizabeth, so this line of thinking was futile. Will briefly wondered where Elizabeth was, but was interrupted by James.

"You should return to my bed…" James stopped short when he realized what he had just said, feeling awkward again. "Uh… to rest… you're… you're still rather weak."

Will nodded and slowly laid himself down, exhaling heavily as his body melted into the bed. James returned to the chair by his side, his expression solemn.

"Will, there is something I must tell you." Both men were surprised that James had referred to Will by his first name, but neither mentioned it. James continued. "Lord Beckett has the heart of Davey Jones. He intends to use it to take Sparrow prisoner."

"Jack…" Will muttered, thinking of the plan Jack had formulated. Will was to get the heart and Jack would stab it, freeing Will's father and becoming immortal himself. Will knew that the two men had a history, and if Beckett knew Jack, Will was sure that Beckett would take every precaution to safeguard the heart from him. Their plan would be destroyed.

"I'm not sure what he intends to do with him…"

"We can't allow Beckett to get his hands on Jack." Will said, beginning to sit up.

James lightly pushed him back down. "You're too weak right now. We won't catch up to the Black Pearl for at least another day, since she's had a head start. Beckett didn't start the pursuit until yesterday."

Will allowed himself to relax a little. "Why yesterday?"

James sighed heavily. "Yesterday was when I foolishly left the heart unguarded." 

"You weren't going after the Pearl because you already had what you wanted." Will said, a hint of lament in his voice. "You had Elizabeth."

James' gaze fell to his lap. Something else he had to tell Will. He whispered. "Elizabeth was killed by…" _your father_. James couldn't bring himself to tell Will who the assailant was. "By a deranged crew member."

_Killed_? Will felt a pang of guilt at the momentary glee he experienced on hearing these words. "I'm sorry." Will uttered, placing a compassionate hand on Norrington's knee. "I know you loved her."

James' eyes darted to Will's. He was sorry. Not saddened, but sorry. For James. He placed his own hand atop Will's. "I thought I did."

The feeling in Will's stomach was acting up again as James' eyes stared into his own. "But you don't?" he whispered.

James considered revealing everything to Will, but discarded the thought immediately. What good would it do? Will cared for Jack. James' heart raced. These moments of closeness to Will were beginning to slice through his heart. Will was being so affectionate towards James, and it tormented him that they were nothing more than kindness. He removed his hand and cleared his throat. "No." he replied simply. James stood up. He had to get out of the room. "Is there anything else I can get for you, Mr Turner?"

Will shook his head, somewhat confused by the former Commodore's abruptness.

"Then, if you'll excuse me I have other duties to attend to." James said as he headed towards the door. Wondering if he was appearing rude, he turned back and added "If there's anything else you need, please let me know." Will nodded, and James walked out and closed the door behind him.

Will rolled onto his side and tried to go to sleep, but so many thoughts were racing through his mind that the task proved exceedingly difficult.

James leant up against the door, forcing himself to breathe. His heart was so low it was in his boots. He had never wanted something so badly in his life. Even his desire for Elizabeth, when he believed he was in love with her, had not been as vicious as this longing.


	13. Chapter 13: Promotion

**Chapter 13: Promotion (AKA Jackett flashback)**

Jack absently traced the P on his wrist with his fingers. He had looked at this mark many times over the past 13 years, but the experience of being branded had then been nothing more than a faded memory, easily pushed aside. Now, the events leading up to that point played themselves in his mind with startling clarity, and nothing Jack did could put a stop to these depressing images of a time he thought he would never have to relive.

- - - - -

_Jack Sparrow, a young man of 28, stood before Cutler Beckett's desk to receive whatever news the man had summoned him for._

"_Nothing wrong, I hope, Mr Beckett?"_

_Cutler shook his head, smiling. "In fact, the opposite, Mr Sparrow. You're a fine merchant, and have been a surprising asset to the East India Company since your employment began last year. As such, I've decided to promote you. Starting tomorrow, you will be captaining the Wicked Wench on her journey to The Americas."_

_Jack was speechless. The Wicked Wench had been the reason he had taken up employment with the Company in the first place. He had originally intended to get to know the ins and outs of Portsmouth in order to steal it, but in doing so he had gotten to know Cutler, eventually growing to love him. Jack had considered on several occasions stealing the ship anyway and returning to piracy, but each time the longing to be with Cutler had made him change his mind. Now it suddenly appeared that he could have both. The feeling of joy overwhelmed him, and for a moment, he forgot everything else, stepping forward to embrace Cutler._

_Cutler noticed this and immediately stood to thrust his hand forward. "Congratulations, Mr Sparrow."_

_Jack remained suspended awhile as he remembered his place, then he grudgingly took Cutler's hand and shook it. He felt a piece of paper between their palms, which Cutler left in Jack's had as he let go._

_Cutler withdrew his arm and sat back down, turning his attention to a stack of papers on his desk._

_Although still overjoyed, Jack had a sudden sense of isolation in the feeling that he had no one with whom to share his joy. He lingered for a moment until Cutler raised his head to look at him. "That will be all, Sparrow." He said gently, yet formally, before returning his attention to the papers._

"_Thank you, Mr Beckett." Jack said as he left._

_Once outside, he looked at the piece of paper, and a smile came to his face as the feeling of isolation disappeared. The paper said:_

MEET ME IN OUR FIELD AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT

ALL MY LOVE

YOUR CUTLER

- - - - -

_Jack laid on the dew-soaked grass of "their field", an area enclosed by trees that no one tended to frequent, waiting for Cutler. His head rested on his arms as he stared up at the starry sky. He heard footsteps approaching and tilted his head upwards to see a smiling Cutler looking down at him._

"_There you are"_

"_Here I am."_

_Cutler crouched down in the grass and lifted his leg over Jack, sitting himself atop his waist. Jack took Cutler's hands and laced his fingers into them. "Aren't you going to ask me how my day was?"_

"_I was there, remember?" Cutler said, playfully weaving their connected hands in various directions_

"_No." Jack told him, joining his hand-weaving game and trying to push them in different directions. "That wasn't you, that was the dreadful Mr Beckett."_

"_I see." Cutler replied, skeptically, pushing their hands downwards as Jack resisted. _

"_And what precisely is the difference?"_

"_Mr Beckett is a rigid, icy businessman with something perpetually stuck up his arse." _

_He paused before adding with a mischievous grin "and it ain't me."_

_Cutler laughed and untied his hands from Jack's, laying himself down next to his lover. "Very well, then. How was your day with this dreadful Mr Beckett?"_

"_Actually, today he gave me a promotion."_

"_Really?" Cutler said, feigning surprise. He propped himself back up and kissed Jack, before leaning into his ear. "I'm so proud of you."_

_Jack smiled and turned to face Cutler. "Although I think Mr Beckett has a bit of a thing for me, so I don't know if I really deserved the promotion."_

"_Mr Beckett does have a major hard-on for you," Cutler confirmed "but he's so petrified by it that I can assure you," Cutler stroked Jack's face "for him to have promoted you to Captain" he looked down regretfully, "you probably deserved Admiral."_

_Jack shook his head. "No worries, Darlin'. Captain is more than enough for me. To be in charge of the Wench…" he sighed dreamily and they both knew the rest of that sentence._

_Cutler's eyes suddenly lit up as he sat up. "I have something for you."_

"_Oh?" Jack said, sitting up as well_

_Cutler fumbled about in his coat pocket and retrieved a small, blue bead, which he handed to Jack. "I know how you like to mark special occasions by adding something to your hair."_

_Jack admired the bead as it shone in his hand. He smiled, his heart swelling, as Cutler took the bead from his hand and threaded a lock of his black hair through it._

"_There" Cutler said with an approving nod. "To mark your promotion." He then arranged a few of Jack's dreadlocks in front of it. "But be careful not to show it, some people may have seen me buying it, and it would be rather difficult to explain how you obtained it."_

_Jack frowned slightly at this statement. He leaned into Cutler and whispered longingly "Run away with me, Luv."_

_Cutler laughed as he laid himself back down. "Ah yes, to this magical place where we would be accepted."_

"_Tortuga." Jack confirmed, luminescent at the thought. He leaned down on top of Cutler, propping himself up on his elbows and looking down into his lover's eyes._

"_A pirate port." Cutler countered. "Because pirates are such tolerant and understanding creatures." He fiddled with the bead he had just placed in Jack's hair. "I wish such a place truly existed."_

"_It does exist, I've been there. I grew up there."_

"_If you say so." Cutler said, disbelieving. He looked at Jack, longingly. "Tell me about Tortuga again, Jack."_

_Jack smiled and settled himself next to Cutler, running his hands along the man's chest. "Well," he began, raising his hand to Cutler's shoulder and sliding his lover's jacket off, "we would sail to Tortuga in the Wench, you and me. We'd arrive at the dock, and I'd take your arm in mine," Jack undid the top button on Cutler's shirt, "and I'd take you" he undid the next button, "to the tavern" and the next button, "and order us" and the next "each a drink." another button. Jack looked up at Cutler. "That's rum, not your high class brandy." Cutler laughed and Jack undid the sixth and final button before removing the shirt completely, exposing Cutler's pale, furry chest._

"_Then what?" Cutler asked eagerly._

"_Then," Jack continued, swiftly removing his own shirt, as well as his boots and pants, so that he could return his hands to the fervent Cutler's face, "we would take a seat and drink our rum." as he spoke his hand slowly traveled down Cutler's cheek, his shoulder, his chest, his stomach and came to a rest on his belt buckle. "My arm would be over your shoulder," Jack's other hand joined the first on Cutler's belt and unbuckled it, "and your head would be nestled in the crook of my neck," he undid Cutler's pants and slowly slid them down._

_Cutler closed his eyes as he tried to imagine being in such a position with Jack in a bar. "Would people stare?" he asked, knowing the answer but wanting to hear it anyway._

_Cutler's pants were around his ankles._

"_They'd glance at us, Luv," Jack slid off one of Cutler's boots "with a passing interest," and the other one, "but what they, themselves, were up to," he slid the pants over Cutler's feet, "would hold far greater interest to them." And then returned to Cutler's side._

"_What next, Jack?"_

"_After we finished our rum," Jack lent his faced next to Cutler's and continued in a sensual whisper, "my hand would somehow find its way to your knee." Jack imitated what he was saying, placing his hand firmly on Cutler's knee and beginning to slide it up. "My hand would go up, slowly, feeling your thigh, searching for something," he ran his hand from Cutler's leg up to his stomach, "my hand gets very confused sometimes. It knows what it's looking for," he ran his hand across Cutler's stomach from one side to the other, "it knows it's somewhere around here."_

"_Jack, stop teasing me." Cutler moaned in anticipation. "Pretend that your hand is of sound mind the day we arrive in Tortuga."_

_Jack smiled and inched his thumb gradually towards Cutler's member, his fingers following one by one. "my hand will slide itself down your pants and wrap itself around your cock, pulling ever so gently."_

"_Ah" Cutler gasped as Jack's enclosed hand ran from shaft to tip, holding firmly yet gently. He thrust his hand back up, feeling Cutler's organ growing in response to his touch._

_Cutler began to pant as the sensation radiated from between his legs outwards to the rest of his body. He closed his eyes and lost himself in Jack's voice and touch._

"_Then I'll start to stroke you harder and faster as your member grows" he extended his tongue and let it run along the bottom of Cutler's earlobe as his hand thrust up and down the length of Cutler's organ._

"_Oh Jack!" Cutler breathed. "Tell me more!"_

"_I'll nibble your earlobe, the way I know you like" he said, pulling Cutler's lobe into his mouth with his tongue and gently biting into it._

_Cutler whimpered with delight as he rolled his body onto his side._

"_Those sounds you make will get me hard too," Jack whispered, allowing his excitement to show in his voice, "I'll slide your pants down, and" He continued handling Cutler's member as he hungrily thrust his own into Cutler's rectum._

_Cutler turned his head and kissed Jack passionately as the sensations from both directions merged together inside of him._

_Jack thrust himself in and out as he spoke. "We'll spend our days," thrust, "living in Tortuga," thrust, "fucking," thrust, "drinking rum," thrust, "sailing the Spanish main," thrust, "and no one," thrust, "will have anything," thrust, "to say about it."_

_Cutler tried to speak but cried out instead "and nothing," thrust, "will ever make," thrust, "us anxious," thrust, "we won't," thrust, "have a care," thrust, "in the world."_

_Jack moaned "Ohhh! That's right, Luv," thrust, "except," thrust, "deciding," thrust, "where we want," thrust, "to sail."_

"_And we'll," thrust, "have no one," thrust, "to answer to," thrust, "but ourselvessss." Cutler's body quivered as he came in Jack's hand._

_Jack thrust himself more intensely into Cutler as he felt himself coming closer to climax. He arched back as he gave one last thrust, spilling his seed inside his lover._

_Both men were breathing heavily, completely exhausted. Cutler lazily rolled over to face Jack, who blissfully circled his arms around him. "I wish such a place did exist" Cutler mused wistfully._

"_I keep tellin' you, Luv, it does."_

_Jack laid back and Cutler wearily rested his head on Jack's shoulder. Jack kissed Cutler's forehead and closed his eyes. He felt Cutler's fingers weaving spirals on his chest. The soothing sensation eventually lulled him to sleep._

- - - - -

_Jack felt a gentle nudge in his ribs._

"_Jack, wake up!" a voice said urgently. "We fell asleep. It's nearly daylight, we have to get back."_

_Jack groaned and rolled over. "You go ahead, I'll stay here a bit."_

"_You can't stay here, you're supposed to sail the Wicked Wench today."_

_Jack's eyes shot open. He smiled, recalling the events of the previous day. He picked himself up, allowing himself a moment to stretch the sleep from his body and yawn. Cutler was already fully dressed and slowly taking paces back towards the docks. He sighed impatiently and returned to Jack. "Look, we shouldn't arrive at the same time anyway. I'll go ahead and meet you at the docks, ok?" Jack nodded and Cutler quickly kissed him before heading back._

- - - - -

_Jack arrived at the docks to see Cutler, donning his delicately embroidered business suit and white wig, conversing with another member of the East India Company. When Jack approached, Cutler turned and greeted him._

"_Ah, Mr Sparrow. Looking forward to setting out to sea on your first day as Captain?"_

"_Indeed I am, Sir" Jack replied, grinning wickedly at the word _Sir.

_Cutler cast a stern glance at Jack. "Well," he said nervously, "good luck on your voyage." Cutler turned back to the man he had been speaking to before._

"_Like Jackal and bloody Hyde" Jack muttered irritably._

"_Pardon me?" Cutler asked, turning to Jack again._

"_Thank you, Mr Beckett. I'll be off now." Jack said in a cheerful tone as he headed towards the ship._

_Cutler turned to the other man and shrugged innocently._

- - - - -

_That night, Jack found himself unable to sleep. He tossed and turned. He was frustrated. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine Cutler's fingers dancing on his chest, luring his eyelids down, his sweet breath on his shoulder, but it was no use._

_He needed rum._

_Jack wandered about the ship, searching. Where did these people keep the bloody rum? He'd settle for brandy. Whiskey. Beer. Anything containing alcohol, really. Perhaps there was rum amongst the cargo he was meant to deliver to The Americas. Surely they wouldn't notice a few missing bottles. Jack made his way below deck, looking around. Suddenly, a voice called out to him from the darkness._

"_Jack Sparrow?"_

_Jack spun around, heart racing. "Who's there?" He held the lantern in his hand up and then he saw her. A mystical woman Jack had met four years ago. A woman from whom he had bartered his unique compass. A woman who now stood chained to the side of the ship. "What's going on?" Jack whispered, frowning in confusion._

"_Lord Beckett has aut'orized our _sale_ and transfer to De Americas." She spat._

Our_. Jack looked around and saw many more people chained as Tia Dalma was. He shook his head, horrified. "There's obviously been some kind of mistake," he said, reaching for the keys. "Cutler Beckett would never authorize anything like this." He unlocked the chains around Tia Dalma's neck, wrists and ankles. He proceeded to the next person and then the next, unlocking them each from their bonds, until they were all free._

"_Ye will face great trouble fer dis, Jack Sparrow" Tia Dalma warned him._

_Jack shook his head. "You don't know Cutler. He never would have intended for anything like this to happen. I'll just turn the ship around and get the cargo I was _meant_ to deliver…" Tia Dalma shook her head, but Jack insisted, "I'm sure he didn't mean…" He wanted so desperately to believe that Cutler would never support the slave trade. "If you knew him…" Jack began, trying in vain to defend the man he loved, but unable to think of a way to finish the sentence. _

_Tia Dalma smiled gently, cupping Jack's face in her hand, almost nurturing him. Jack closed his eyes and reveled in the sensation, yearning for the intimacy he had shared with Cutler the previous night, that he could never share with his love completely. Jack thought about Cutler as Tia Dalma's arms wrapped around his neck and she leaned in and kissed him. He thought about Cutler signing the papers to sanction the transportation of slaves. He thought about his Cutler brushing him off that morning. He thought about Cutler tenderly embracing him in "their field"._

_By now Tia Dalma's arms had slid down to Jack's waist, and her tongue had entered his mouth. Jack didn't return the kiss, but nor did he pull away. He merely stood, thinking, wondering about the man he loved._

_Tia Dalma pulled away, looking warmly into Jack's eyes. "Cutler Beckett is not de man you tink he is."_

_Jack sighed heavily, not quite knowing what to think. "Where is it exactly you're all wanting to go?"_

- - - - -

The events that followed were a blur as they passed by in Jack's mind. The vast majority of the slaves Jack had rescued had elected to return to Africa. Tia Damla and a few others had chosen to live on various Caribbean islands. It was on the trip from Africa to The Caribbean that Jack had finally given into selfish impulse and slept with Tia Dalma. He had surprised himself by how much he had enjoyed it, despite the fact that she was not his beloved. He had gotten to know Tia Dalma very well during this voyage. She had a strange alluring quality that he couldn't quite pinpoint. All Jack knew was that when she put her hands on him, it felt good. Not as good as when he was with Cutler in private, in "their field", but far better than the rejection he received from Cutler anywhere else. Tia Dalma had been far from indifferent towards Jack during the entirety of the voyage; in fact, during the entire time she had known him. She had an incredibly lustful presence that had drawn many men to her in the time before and since Jack, but this fact had not made Jack enjoy his time with her any less.

Jack now realized that part of him had wished that Cutler would catch him at it, in front of everyone. He had wondered how Cutler would react. Would he falter and reveal himself, or would propriety once again conceal his emotions? Would he care?

Jack's unwanted memories blazed ahead to the moment when Cutler did catch them

When Jack had seen Cutler's ship approaching the Wicked Wench, his heart had skipped a beat. He had stolen Cutler's ship, or at least that's what it would look like. In fact, Jack had every intention of returning to Portsmouth after he had dropped everyone off to their desired destinations. But, from Cutler's viewpoint, one day into his newly acquired position as Captain, Jack had betrayed Cutler.

_Sensing Jack's anxiousness, Tia Dalma slipped her arms around him and began kissing his neck. Jack wondered if she realized how little she was helping the situation. He would later discover that she did; that many of her actions were a means to ensure a certain whelp's touch of destiny was achieved. But at that moment, Jack tried for once to deter Tia Dalma's advances, however unsuccessfully._

_Without warning, Cutler's ship produced its cannons and began firing on the Wench. Jack was stunned. Cutler was firing on his own ship? On Jack?_

The memories flooded through almost too quickly for Jack to process them. Cannons firing on the wench, panicked faces, frantic running about, the ship in shambles, people desperately treading water or clinging to pieces of debris. He shook his head and for a moment was returned to reality. But soon, Jack was drawn back into his past, into the cabin of Cutler's ship.

- - - - -

_Jack was dragged into the cabin by two large guards and presented before Cutler, who stood in front of the fireplace, almost hypnotized by the crackling flames. Jack waited, unsure as to what Cutler was going to do. Cutler turned around slowly to face Jack._

"_Mr Sparrow," he said, ever the well mannered and emotionally vacant gentleman, "it seems you are a pirate. You stole a ship and property belonging to the East India Trading Company."_

"_But…" Jack began._

_Cutler cut him off "I don't want to hear any excuses." He took a brand with a bright red P on the end of it out of the fire and walked calmly towards Jack. "Your actions have proven you to be a pirate and you will be punished accordingly."_

_The guards' grip on Jack tightened and Jack felt his heart begin to race. They forced Jack onto his knees. One of the guards extended Jack's arm towards Cutler, who pressed the burning P into Jack's flesh._

"_Aargh!" Jack cried as he tried to squirm away. He had never felt such pain in his life. He looked up into Cutler's eyes, searching for a hint of mercy, of compassion, of love. He saw nothing. The few moments the brand was on his forearm stretched out into eternity. Jack began to smell his burnt skin as Cutler removed the brand. The odor made him feel queasy and the room tilted slightly._

_Cutler nodded at the guards and they left the room. When they closed the door, Cutler finally allowed his expression to turn malevolent. _

_Jack shakily got to his feet. He took a few deep breaths and the room stopped spinning. He winced when he looked down at his wrist and saw the cauterized wound._

"_Enjoy your little trip, did you Jack?" Cutler asked spitefully, still holding the brander in his hand._

_Jack wondered if Cutler had seen him with Tia Dalma, or if this was merely over the ship. He had officially been branded for piracy, for stealing the ship. But he hadn't stolen it. Jack suddenly found himself compelled to clear his name. "I was going to bring the Wench back as soon as…"_

"_I don't care about the ship, Jack!" Cutler scowled._

_Jack's eyes fell. He had nothing to say for what he had done with Tia Dalma._

_Cutler shook his head. "And I was foolish enough to believe that you actually loved me. You were incredibly convincing, Jack. All that effort for a ship that's now at the bottom of the ocean." Cutler managed a heartbreaking smile, attempting to impress upon Jack the irony._

_Jack looked up at Cutler in shock, unable to process what he was hearing. "Darlin' how can you say that?" He saw Cutler's expression turn acidic, but he persisted. "I'm sorry for what I did, but…"_

_Before Jack could continue, he felt a sharp pain on the right side of his chin, with a force that threw his head to the side. Jack realized what had just happened. Cutler had hit Jack across the face with the still glowing brand. He heard the clunk of metal as it fell to the ground. Jack didn't turn back to look at him, afraid of what he might see. Anger? Fear? Apathy? The two men stood in silence for a few moments, both unwilling to speak._

_Cutler finally broke the silence by opening the cabin door. "Take the prisoner to the brig." he told the guards. They grabbed Jack and roughly escorted him out the door. When he finally dared to glance at Cutler, he caught the subtle trembling of his lower lip._

It had been that night in the brig, Jack recalled as he stroked the scab on his chin, that he had struck a deal with Davey Jones.


End file.
